Mbeya District Council has been urged to maintain close oversight of its development projects to ensure public funds translate into quality services for residents.
The call was made by Uhuru Torch national leader Wazo Mwang’oda during the torch’s visit to Mbeya District Council, where he commended the council for progress in implementing projects in education, health and infrastructure.
Mr Mwang’oda said the projects visited during the tour demonstrated efforts by the council to improve access to essential services and create better conditions for residents.
He singled out investments in school infrastructure and measures to improve sanitation as important steps towards improving the quality of public services.
But he cautioned that the success of development projects should not be measured only by their completion, saying councils must ensure projects are built to the required standards and deliver the benefits for which they were funded.
“Close supervision of development projects is important to ensure that the resources provided achieve their intended objectives and bring positive results to citizens,” he said.
He urged the council to maintain effective monitoring throughout the implementation of projects, including after completion, to ensure facilities remain functional and serve the communities they were intended to benefit.
Mr Mwang’oda said timely completion was equally important, particularly for projects involving essential services such as schools and health facilities.
Delays or poor workmanship, he said, could undermine the value of public investment and deny residents the services they were promised.
The visit provided an opportunity to assess the progress of development projects being implemented by Mbeya District Council and highlight areas requiring continued attention.
The Uhuru Torch programme has traditionally been used to promote and assess development initiatives across Tanzania, with emphasis on projects intended to improve citizens’ welfare.
For Mbeya residents, the quality and functionality of such projects remain more important than their construction alone, particularly in sectors that directly affect access to education, healthcare and other basic services.
Mr Mwang’oda encouraged the council to sustain the progress recorded while strengthening supervision to ensure every project delivers value for money and produces lasting benefits for the communities.
The council’s performance in implementing the projects, he said, should ultimately be reflected in improved services and better living conditions for residents.